BCFN Young Earth Solutions YES! School - farm: lessons in agricultural techniques for healthy - food and well - eating Abstract: "Healthy food" and "well-eating" are the main two important goals for children, who usually eat unhealthy food. Recognizing the fact that global forces have transformed all aspects of the food cycle and diets, many of the food-focused contributions chose to apply a global / local lens as more and more. This idea focuses on the different aspects of the agri-food system, from production to consumption, from environmental aspects to trade relations, in order to ameliorate the food quality and to promote educational goals on the well eating for children. This idea would like to promote healthy eating lifestyle in order to prevent and / or manage childhood obesity and other nutrition-related health conditions. For these purposes, multidisciplinary teams are needed for the following interventions: 1. to educate children how the agri-products were produced, in order to appreciate the local products and their nutrients; 2. to ameliorate the eating of children, by considering agri and local-products; 3. to prevent nutrition-intake disorders for children that could appreciate to eat welling.
Author
Elsa Vitale
“School – Farm: lessons in agricultural techniques for healthy - food and well - eating”
Nutrition, Health and life sciences
Vitale Elsa, Registered Nurse University of Bari, Faculty of Medicine, Bari, Italy
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The world’s population is becoming increasingly urbanized as a result of both natural urban population increase, the transformation of settlements to cities and rural to urban migration. This transformation has already occurred in industrialized countries where over three quarters of the population now live in urban areas. It is predicted that by 2015 seven of the ten largest urban agglomerations will be in developing countries. In addition to mega cities housing 10 million or more people, smaller urban areas which often develop as peripheral towns near the largest cities, are increasing in both size and number. At the same time, reduction in barriers to the cross-border movement of goods, services and capital have accelerated the integration of world markets and increased the flow of commodities, technologies, information, financial capital, modes of distribution and marketing, and, to an extent, migration of peoples and labor. A common feature of this process of globalization is a convergence, though at differing speeds, of many institutional, legal, economic, social and cultural practices and processes across different countries. The world food systems are experiencing significant changes under the influence of this process of rapid urbanization and globalization. Changes in the food systems are, in turn, expected to have substantial impacts on the food and nutritional security of both producers and consumers in developing countries. These changes affect availability and access to food, through changes to the food production, procurement and distribution systems, the food trade environment and overall food culture. The positive and negative consequences of these changes are experienced in both rural and urban areas, particularly by small rural farmers and consumers in urban settings. Moreover, in many parts in the world small farmers are declining in number and experiencing economic difficulty. For this reason a lots of institutions work well to promote a considerable opportunity in serving local school districts with fresh agricultural products, in serving local children education on agricultural techniques to promote their production. In this way farms became school – farms, where children learn to appreciate local agri – products, how they are produced and what are the micro nutrient contained, that are important for their nutrition. Additionally, in this way children could be busy to create the product and could change their lifestyle, from a sedentary lifestyle to a challenges in movements. This change could ameliorate also the childhood obesity incidence, that is one of the most important health problem among children. By considering all these aspects, the idea is focuses on :
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1. The children education in how the agri – products were produced, in order to appreciate the local products and their nutrients Farms become eating schools for children, where they learn
relationships between
farmers and an expanding non-agricultural population. And, in many ways, the future success of farms could be cultivated by strengthening the connection with local agricultural roots. Building on this concept of community (linking farmers with consumers), farms will create a nutrition and agriculture education initiative for children. In this way, farms promote improved nutrition and consumption of locally grown foods (which will, in turn, sustain the economic viability of local farms) through a series of family-based activities that are offered through local libraries.
2. The amelioration the eating of children, by considering agri and local – products
School – farms could help children and their families to understand where their food comes from. That is one way to help families to explore food options and incorporate more fresh foods into their diets. This approach to nutrition education can be a savvy, appealing, and marketable way to interest consumers in nutrition and nutrition education programs. Additionally, farms can have some farm markets, which applies the principles to teach consumers about food, nutrition and the farm. It involves the costumers in agriculture (something with which many consumers are not familiar); introduces consumers to locally grown foods and farms; and teaches them why those foods are good for us. In this section the program can have some key objectives: •
Children will learn how to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products into their diets, with emphasis on choosing locally grown foods;
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Children will try fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products when offered as part of the From Our Farms program or at home;
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Children will understand the agricultural process (i.e., where foods come from and how they're grown/raised/produced) and appreciate the role of the farmer in providing our food;
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Children will build new eating skills and behaviors that enable them to select, use, and prepare more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products;
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Children and their parents learn about food, nutrition, and the farm through libraries on farms. Moreover, learning boxes are themed learning kits. They include instructional materials that serve a variety of learning styles, including games, puppets, audio and/or videotapes, puzzles, and farm- and food-focused storybooks. Boxes also include family fun pages (textbooks) and activity sheets(workbooks), which contain a series of lessons and activities for parents and children to work on at home, in conjunction with the storybooks and other materials in the boxes.
3. The prevention in nutrition – intake disorders for children that could appreciate to eat welling
This paper suggests strategies for implementing the food based dietary guidelines which considers typical and local products. The aims of the guidelines are to provide food based dietary guidelines which can be used as a consistent communication tool and, as a springboard to planning, implementing, and evaluating public health nutrition strategies. Guidelines may not intended to be prescriptive, but it aims to build upon a solid evidence base to provide practical and cost effective suggestions for developing public health strategies, which member can use and tailor to the social, cultural and health needs of their populations. In this way, it can be possible to prevent childhood obesity with local resources. As childhood obesity is an international public health priority given the significant impact of obesity on acute and chronic diseases, general health, development and well-being.
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